Aircraft passenger cabins generally include some form of luggage bin so that passengers can stow their carryon luggage during a flight. Typically, these luggage bins are positioned on the left and right sides of passenger cabins, directly above the outboard seat sections and, in multi-aisle aircraft, above the center seat section. These luggage bins often include doors that open by rotating upwardly, enabling the passengers to stow or remove their luggage while standing in the aisles adjacent to their seats.
There are a number of shortcomings associated with conventional luggage bins used in aircraft passenger cabins. One shortcoming is that passengers stowing their luggage in the bins impede the progress of other passengers to their seats. For example, as passengers file into a passenger cabin for a flight, they typically pause momentarily adjacent to their seats to stow their luggage. When a passenger does this, the flow of passengers into the passenger cabin is momentarily stalled until the passenger has hoisted his or her luggage into the bin and taken a seat.
Another shortcoming often associated with conventional aircraft luggage bins is that they reduce headroom. Typically, the bottom of aircraft luggage bins is placed so low over the outboard seat sections that passengers in these seats are unable to stand unless they first move out into the aisle. Accordingly, these passengers are generally unable to stand up and stretch during flight, resulting in increased body fatigue. Further, the low placement of the luggage bins may cause some passengers seated in the outboard seat sections to feel somewhat claustrophobic, thereby detracting from their overall flying experience.